Steve McPherson today submitted his resignation as President, ABC Entertainment Group, and the Company accepted. Mr. McPherson said, “I want to thank the wonderful team of individuals who have worked with me throughout my time here and wish them nothing but the best.” A replacement for McPherson will be announced shortly.

According to his studio bio, which has been removed from the official DATG website, McPherson joined ABC Entertainment in 2004 and has been the driving force behind the network’s primetime comeback, developing quality content and then supporting it with more strategically directed marketing. The ABC Entertainment Group has delivered some of the most successful, talked-about and evolutionary series on television today, including “Desperate Housewives,” “Lost,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “Dancing with the Stars” and “Modern Family.”

Disney XD has just released these stills featuring guest star and American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken from the upcoming ‘Phineas and Ferb’ one-hour special ‘Summer Belongs to You’ which premieres on Disney XD on August 2 at 8:00 pm ET/PT and on August 6 on Disney Channel.

As the story goes, it’s the summer solstice and because it’s the longest day of the year, stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb decide to travel around the world in one day. But not everyone believes they can actually achieve what they’ve set out to do, leading them to get some encouraging words, in the form of a duet, from Clay Aiken and Chaka Khan. Meanwhile, Dr. Doofenshmirtz takes a father-daughter trip to Tokyo with Vanessa.

If you’ve ever pictured yourself on Tower of Terror Re-Imagined, having a dart thrown at you on Toy Story Mania or craved the sensation of having Elliott the dragon breathing fire on your face, we have the news you’ve been waiting for!

Disney Parks has launched www.disneylandwallpaper.com and www.waltdisneyworldwallpaper.com, sites that allow you to create custom wallpaper featuring your own photo combined with one of several different ‘Summer Nightastic’ themes. To begin, email or text a photo to either dlr@disney.go.com or wdw@disney.go.com and in just a couple of minutes, you’ll receive a special custom link that will direct you to a page where you can choose the frame you want along with some basic edition functions, allowing you to resize and move your photo.

Advancing on its goal of bringing consumers its well-known stories, characters and brands in ever more engaging ways, The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire Playdom Inc., one of the leading companies in the fast-growing business of online social gaming.

Playdom shareholders will receive total consideration of $563.2 million, subject to certain conditions, and a performance-linked earn-out of up to $200 million.

In just two and a half years of operation, Playdom has established itself as a pacesetter in building popular games for social networks enjoyed by consumers around the globe. Through well-known titles like Social City, Sorority Life, Market Street and Bola, Playdom engages an estimated 42 million active players each month.

Disney Theme Parks merchandise has posted a page advertising many of the Disney collectibles that will be available exclusively to attendees at the Star Wars Celebration V event taking place in Orlando, August 12-15.

Among the items is a limited edition (10,000 pieces) ‘sneak preview’ collectible of the Star Tours StarSpeeder 1000. As many Star Tours enthusiasts know already, the Star Tours company currently operates the StarSpeeder 3000, a descendant of the 1000 model. As Star Tours II includes material inspired by Episodes 1-3, the vehicle itself will also regress to the earlier 1000 model, so this collectible gives those attending Celebration V a sneak peek at the ‘new’ ride vehicle. It will retail for $24.95.

Walt Disney Studios New Zealand has just released a teaser trailer for Beauty and the Beast in Disney Digital 3D. According to the trailer, it begins performing in the country August 12 in a very limited release.

The 3D theatrical release of the film, which was originally slated for Valentine’s Day of 2010 in the United States, has been generating tremendous buzz to the point where it’s been suggested that The Lion King and other Disney animated classics may soon follow suit.

It’s expected to open domestically in 2011, most likely during the Valentine’s Day timeframe, but no official date has yet been announced.

Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie, executive producers of the ABC’s Emmy® Award-winning talk show, “The View,” announced today that President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, will be the featured guest, THURSDAY, JULY 29 (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET), marking the first time in history a sitting United States President has visited a daytime talk show. President Obama’s unprecedented appearance is part of the show’s continuing “Red, White & View” campaign, which is committed to political guests and discussions.

Barbara Walters, creator/executive producer and co-host of “The View” will, in honor of this rare occasion, make one exclusive in-studio appearance to mark this historic hour for “The View.”

Vienna Girardi, one of the stars from the most recent season of the ABC reality series “The Bachelor,” poses July 24, 2010, at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Girardi, who is from the central Florida area, visited the water park with her family. (Todd Anderson, photographer)

Passer-bys of the UD Replicas booth at the 2010 San Diego Comic-con can’t help but stop to admire some of the most meticulously detailed superhero costumes on display at the convention. So much so that the live model sporting the Batman Dark Knight suit is virtually a tourist trap in itself. Only they’re not actually costumes in the traditional sense (but just try explaining that to their newly found fans); they are fully functional leather motorcycle suits designed to be worn while riding.